MtronPTI Expands Tunable Filter Line

MtronPTI, leader in RF and microwave filters and frequency control
solutions for aerospace and defense applications, today announced the
TF0112 Varactor Tuned Navigation Band Preselector for private and
commercial...

MtronPTI, leader in RF and microwave filters and frequency control solutions for aerospace and defense applications, today announced the TF0112 Varactor Tuned Navigation Band Preselector for private and commercial aviation. Bruce Mackie, senior applications engineer explains, “With interest growing for the recently released TF0111 aviation voice band product we’re extending the frequency downward to cover the adjacent navigation band. Adding both the TF0111 and now the TF0112 to cockpit radios improves safety in cross country and landing operations.”

All of us have GPS in our cell phones, and commercial airliners are also shifting toward GPS (a.k.a. FANS – the Future Air Navigation System), but the continued growth of flight traffic worldwide 1 and the potential of GPS outages mean air operators will continue to rely on legacy VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range) and ILS (Instrument Landing System) navigation for some time. These analog systems use 200 narrow-band 50 kHz channels from 108–117.95 MHz which can be prone to interference from nearby FM or shortwave broadcast stations. Adding a preselector filter to the navigation receiver attenuates interfering signals, minimizing disruptions which could cause the radio to lose lock on the desired VOR or localizer/glide-slope signal. A tunable preselector offers even better protection through a narrower passband centered exactly on the desired frequency.

Bruce explains , “The varactor tuned TF0112’s 3% passband is tuned by a low voltage analog signal to any frequency in the navigation band. With a VSWR of <1.5:1 and a low in-band intermodulation (IP3) specification of +30 dBm minimum, the TF0112 is attractive – especially considering its small 1.25” x 0.5” size. ” The TF0112 handles power levels up to +20 dBm without damage and comes in a surface mount package that is completely sealed, allowing automated assembly with no wash-related shift problems like competing open frame designs.

The TF0112 Varactor Tuned Navigation Band Preselector joins MtronPTI’s expanding line of tunable and switched filter products. The companion TF0111 Varactor Tuned Aviation Communications Band Preselector is available today and three digitally tuned filters (TF0108, TF0105 and TF0103) reduce cosite interference, increasing range in secure Software Defined Radio applications. Subscribe to MtronPTI’s Newsletter at mtronpti.com to keep updated on the latest developments.